The two highlighted in blue games are ones I’ll most probably attend and are ones which are the most accessible to traveling Pitt fans. I may or may not attend the PSU game depending on available press box spots open – but I think there won’t be many for that game.

Honestly, I don’t think this is as hard a schedule as some are making it out to be. We have OSU at home as is North Carolina so two out of our three toughest opponents are at Heinz Field this season.

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43 thoughts on “2017 Schedule Info”

I agree that the schedule doesn’t seem as hard after September. Pitt is the only ACC team not to play FSU, Clemson or Lousville this year. However, you never know when a team pops up out of nowhere on any given year …. GT, UVa, NC State, etc

It also appears that due to a lot of new players seeing playing time this year, the team should get better as the year progresses. Thus, be ready to take our lumps early.

I’m all set with home season tickets and yes the two drive able games are VT which may be too late in the season for me but the Duke game is at a favorable time of year. Blacksburg is not far from my house as a crow flies but there is no direct route to get there. Same as Durham.

The schedule is fair with that tough start but then does ease up a bit. Although I look at that last game and wonder if that could be PITT’s season killer game?

Not a difficult schedule? Hmm.. Back-to-back top 5 teams in weeks 2 and 3, trips to GT and Va Tech and a season-ender against Miami isn’t “easy.” Throw in our annual Thursday Night loss (can we stop these things? Nobody goes and we seem to play “flat” every time) this could be a very difficult schedule for a team with new quarterback, new Offensive line, new linebackers, new…

I’m sure the “optimists” in the group are once again predicting a 10-2 season, but I find it hard to find more than (6) games I feel are “certain” wins (YSU, Rice, Syracuse, NC State, Duke & Virginia.) We’ll probably drop one of those and “surprise” someone else and finish 6-6. Could I see 8-4? Sure, if things fall the right way. Am I rooting for 12-0? Of course, I am. But, C’mon Panther fans.. let’s try to look at things honestly.

Flights into ATL are usually cheap given the volume of carriers that fly into there. I’ll be at GT this year as I have never been there. VT is a haul out into no man’s land. Duke is a nice trip if you can swing it. Campus is immaculate and the people are nice. Not a bad seat in their stadium.

Jay: you do bring up an interesting point about how we look at all things PITT football. Considering the upcoming football schedule I just figure that if a team wants to belong to a P-5 football conference you’re bound to play some teams that should be looked at as a potential challenge year in and year out.

Now take the three teams you mentioned as tough games to deal with. VT, GT and Miami. I don’t disagree but I’m fairly sure that all three teams will also be breaking in a new starting QB as well as PITT.

I’ve looked over this schedule a couple times and have had different opinions each of the times. So I must have been in my positive mode this morning. Who knows how I’ll feel come game times in September?

I’d list toughest games this way:
1a – @PSU – returning a ton of talent on a team that started to gel last year
1b – OKSU – rudolph and washington back could be ugly for our d
3 – Miami – getting better under richt, but losing Kayaa
4 – @VT – losing some offensive talent, but tough at home, seen in preseason top 25
5 – @GT – although pitt has beat them the last two times pitt still hasnt stopped them
6 – NCSU – big sleeper pick this year, could be preseason top 25
7 – CUSE – slowly getting better, defense will still struggle but if the qb is healthy that game in the dome scares me
8 – UNC – losing everyone on offense, havent been good on d either

Thanks BigB, we have some time to think on that one. It’s a shame the GPS wants me to go all the way to Richmond then head back west. It’s roughly 440 miles driving but only about 300 miles as the crow flies.

Durham is just a few miles east of Latrobe which is funny. I mean it’s almost directly south of Latrobe.

Dan 72 – 29k is a stretch… Compliance Heather will have Stallings Rockport Night I’m sure. It is a bobblehead that makes excuses and mother f’s the players and deflects all criticism. Or there is a Conklin Calander for your Spaghetti and noodles night. Bc his defense has holes all over it yet the bum is still on the payroll. If he is a good recvruiter make him a recruiter not a DC.

With the defense Pitt has put on the field the last couple of years all games scare me. Pitt needs a repeat performance on the offensive side of the ball for me to get comfortable on any games on that schedule. The opening line against PSU minus 19, should give us all pause in calling for any softness in this schedule.

This is a formable schedule we face for 2017. There are arguably only 3 sure “W’s”: Youngstown, Rice, and Syracuse – (and it’s not impossible to lose one of these games). Hence, the other 9 games are up for grabs.
To remember what an easy schedule looks like please refer back to our Big East schedules.

@Pittman – That is why vegas has the over under at 7.5. Three sure wins and half of the nine remaining games equals 4.5 for a total under/over of 7.5.

I always look at who our competitors play the week before and where. All about time, place and circumstance. Oh, and injuries, which are an unknown at this point. The other teams schedules don’t line up well for us as far as playing a formidable foe the week before our game, so no let downs in their future. Even Syracuse has 3 easy games before playing us. That will give them confidence, whilst we are probably not so confident based on the flipping OOC schedule Pederson put together for us.

Upitt Night at Heinz Field – whoever spews the most negativity gets one free night in an abandoned house in Belthoover. Includes one meal of day old Primanti sandwiches, a case of Iron and free admission to the Cricket.

Pittman4ever, I get where you’re coming from. We both know your season prediction of wins will be upwards towards 9, 10 or 11 games….. and with a formidable schedule like PITT has. Look out.. That would be some accomplishment.. You like to be positive with the negative twist of lemon and lime.. A great PITT football fan you are!! 🙂

BTW, My POV magnet is safe, polished and ready for the season opener on the door of my car, not the fridge.

Upitt, no way you can be serious all the time otherwise you would be The Dark Knight….. but my big question… Do you have a switch you turn off and on? or industrial medication? Either way you make the world go round.

I’m in for Upitt Night! I’ve eaten many a day old Primanti sammich. After a good night drinking, it makes a pretty good breakfast. However, let’s make it Silky’s over the Cricket. It’s a drive to the ‘Rocks but no “pasties.” And I’ll share my case of Iron with the crowd. With our attendance, there should be enough for everybody!

I think notrockets idea of “UPitt Night Under the Light”is a great idea also! UPitt even likes it! It could be a marketing extravaganza! For example:
1. At the entrance gates the ticket takers will pay you to go see Conklins lousy defense.
2. You’ll also receive a pair of free Rockports to throw on the field when they announce the upcoming basketball season.
3. All children under 12 will receive a free snow cone with Heinz pickle juice as the only flavor so the kids can remember the bad taste in their mouths from our D secondary.
4. Armour hotdogs will cost 50 cents but you wouldn’t get a bun to demonstrate how cheap Pitt is.
5. The 5th grade Carrick art class will be honored at half time for their wonderful mid field logo.
( You know what? There’s no end to the possibilities of having UPitt Night Under The Light!).

I can see a “best case” scenario going 9-3 and just as easily having the wheels come off to go 3-9. I think it’s that kind of season with this schedule. In the SOP years, we would regress this year to 3-9, losing games we shouldn’t and finding comfort in the excuse of “we lost so many skill positions”. I’m watching this year to see if HCPN can again continue to exercise the old SOP demons.